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The Star-spangled Avenger

Adapted from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Captain America first appeared in #1 (Cover dated March 1941), from Comics' 1940s predecessor, , and was created by and . For nearly all of the character's publication history, Captain America was the of Steve Rogers , a frail young man who was enhanced to the peak of human perfection by an experimental serum in order to aid the effort. Captain America wears a costume that bears an American flag motif, and is armed with an indestructible that can be thrown as a weapon.

An intentionally patriotic creation who was often depicted fighting the Axis . Captain America was Timely Comics' most popular character during the wartime period. After the war ended, the character's popularity waned and he disappeared by the 1950s aside from an ill-fated revival in 1953. Captain America was reintroduced during the Silver Age of comics when he was revived from suspended by the team the in The Avengers #4 (March 1964). Since then, Captain America has often led the team, as well as starring in his own series.

Captain America was the first character adapted into another medium with the release of the 1944 movie serial Captain America . Since then, the character has been featured in several other films and television series, including in 2011’s Captain America and The Avengers in 2012. The creation of Captain America

In 1940, writer Joe Simon conceived the idea for Captain America and made a sketch of the character in costume. "I wrote the name 'Super American' at the bottom of the page," Simon said in his autobiography. "No, it didn't work. There were too many 'Supers' around. 'Captain America' had a good sound to it. There weren't a lot of captains in comics. It was as easy as that. The boy companion was simply named , after my friend Bucky Pierson, a star on our high school basketball team."

Simon said Captain America was a consciously political creation; he and Jack Kirby were morally repulsed by the actions of in the years leading up to the United States' involvement in World War II and felt war was inevitable: "The opponents to the war were all quite well organized. We wanted to have our say too."

Captain America Comics #1 — cover-dated March 1941 and on sale in , a year before the but a full year into World War II — showed the punching Nazi in the jaw; it sold nearly one million copies. While most readers responded favorably to the comic, some took objection. Simon noted, "When the first issue came out we got a lot of... threatening letters and hate mail. Some people really opposed what Cap stood for." Captain America immediately became the most prominent and enduring of that wave of superheroes introduced in American comic books prior to and during World War II With his Bucky, Captain America faced Nazis, Japanese, and other threats to wartime America and the Allies. Stanley Lieber, now better known by his pen name , contributed to the character in issue #3 in the filler text story "Captain America Foils the Traitor's Revenge," which introduced the character's use of his shield as a returning throwing weapon. Captain America soon became Timely's most popular character and even had a fan-club called the "Sentinels of Liberty." Biography of a from wartime to joining the Avengers

1940s

Steve Rogers was July 4, 1920, in the of , City, to Irish immigrant parents. His father died when Steve was only a child and his mother died of pneumonia while Steve was a teen. By early 1940, before America's entry into World War II, Rogers is a tall but scrawny fine arts student specializing in illustration. Disturbed by the rise of the Third Reich Rogers attempts to enlist, only to be rejected due to being in poor shape. U.S. Army General Chester Phillips, looking for test subjects, offers Rogers the chance to serve his country by taking part in a - secret defence project — Operation: Rebirth , which seeks to develop a means of creating physically soldiers. Rogers volunteers for the research and, after a rigorous selection process, is chosen as the first human test subject for the Super- Soldier serum developed by the scientist "Dr. Josef Reinstein", later retroactively changed to a code name for the scientist Abraham Erskine. In the 2002 miniseries Truth, it was revealed that the Super-Soldier serum was first tested on African- American soldiers before being given to Rogers.

That night, Operation: Rebirth is implemented and Rogers receives injections and oral doses of the Super-Soldier Serum. He is then to a controlled burst of "Vita- Rays" that activate and stabilize the chemicals in his system. The process successfully alters his physiology almost instantly from its relatively frail form to the maximum of human efficiency, greatly enhancing his musculature, reflexes, agility, stamina and intelligence. Erskine declares Rogers to be the first of a new of man, a "nearly perfect human being." The process he underwent has varied from account to account. In the original 1941 story, he was injected with the formula. When the was retold in #63, the and its prohibitions on demonstrations of drug use were in , and the injection was replaced with drinking a formula. In Captain America #109, the Vita-Rays were first introduced, although a dialogue comment preserved continuity by mentioning that he had also drunk the formula beforehand. The retelling of the story in Captain America #255, however, stated that all three were used in combination. In addition, the , The Adventures of Captain America reveals that Rogers also underwent rigorous physical training in combat prior to his enhancement.

After the physical transformation, a Nazi spy reveals himself and shoots Erskine before being overcome by the now enhanced Rogers. Because the scientist had committed crucial portions of the Super-Soldier formula to memory, duplicating it perfectly would be unlikely.

The U.S. government, making the most of its one super-soldier and to hide all information about Operation: Rebirth and its failure, re-imagines him as a superhero who serves as both a counter-intelligence agent and a propaganda symbol to counter Nazi Germany’s head of terrorist operations, the . To that end, Rogers is given a uniform modeled after the American flag (based on Rogers' own sketches) a bulletproof shield, a personal side arm, and the codename Captain America. He is also given a cover identity as a clumsy infantry private at Camp Lehigh in Virginia. Barely out of his teens himself, Rogers makes friends with the camp's teenage mascot, James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes.

Barnes accidentally learns of Rogers' dual identity and offers to keep the secret if he can become Captain America's sidekick. Rogers agrees and trains Barnes. Rogers meets President Roosevelt, who presents him with a new shield, forged from an alloy of and , fused by an unknown catalyst. The alloy is indestructible, yet the shield is light enough to use as a discus like weapon that can be angled to return to him. It proves so effective that Captain America forgoes the sidearm. Throughout World War II, Captain America and Bucky fight the Nazi both on their own and as members of the superhero team the . Captain America also battles a number of menaces on American soil.

In late April 1945, during the closing days of World War II, Captain America and Bucky try to stop the villainous destroying an experimental drone plane. Zemo launches the plane with an armed explosive on it, with Rogers and Barnes in hot pursuit. They the plane just before it takes off, but when Bucky tries to defuse the bomb, it explodes in mid-air. The young man is believed killed, and Rogers is hurled into the freezing waters of the North Atlantic. Neither body is found, and both are presumed dead. It is later revealed that neither character actually died.

Late 1940s to 1950s

Captain America continued to appear in comics for the next few years changing from World War II-era hero to trying to defeat the United States' newest enemy, . The revival of the character in the mid-1950s is short-lived, and events during that time period are later retconned to show that multiple people operated as Captain America. These successors are listed as William Naslund and Jeffrey Mace.

Jeffrey Mace was so devoted to emulating Captain America that he had had his appearance surgically altered to resemble Rogers. He came to be formally addressed as the "1950s Captain America". Furthermore, he also treated himself and a protege to an acquired Nazi copy of the Super-Soldier serum to become the new Captain America and Bucky, but were unaware of the necessary Vita-Ray component. As a result, the raw chemicals administered began to have serious detrimental effects on the pair's minds, rendering them both violently paranoid and regarding even innocent people as communist sympathizers during the height of the of the 1950s (senator McCarthy would have been proud). After it became evident that the two were insane, they were captured and placed in indefinite cryogenic storage by the US Government until they could be cured of their mental illness. The 1950s Bucky would be cured and go on to be Steve Roger’s partner for a time under the identity.

1960s

Years later, the superhero team the Avengers discovers Steve Rogers' body in the North Atlantic, the Captain's uniform under his soldier's fatigues and still carrying his shield. After he revives, they piece together that Rogers had been preserved in a block of since 1945, surviving in such a state only because of his enhancements from Operation: Rebirth. The block had begun to melt after the Sub-Mariner, enraged that an tribe is worshiping the figure, throws it into the ocean. Rogers accepts membership in the Avengers, and although long out of his time, his considerable combat experience makes him a valuable asset to the team. He quickly assumes leadership, and has typically returned to that position throughout the team's history.

Captain America is plagued by guilt for having been unable to prevent Bucky's —a feeling that does not ease for some time. Although he takes the young (who closely resembles Bucky) under his tutelage, he refuses for some time to allow Jones to take up the Bucky identity, not wishing to be responsible for another youth's death. Insisting that his hero finally move on from that loss, Jones eventually convinces Rogers to let him don the Bucky costume, but this partnership lasts only a short time; a disguised Red Skull, impersonating Rogers with the help of the , drives Jones away.

Rogers also reunites with his old war ally Nick , who is similarly well-preserved due to the " Formula." As a result, Rogers regularly undertakes missions for the security agency S.H.I.E.L.D. for which Fury is public director. Through Fury, Rogers befriends , a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, with whom he eventually begins a romantic relationship.

Rogers later meets and trains Sam Wilson, who becomes the superhero the , one of the first African-American superheroes in mainstream comic books.

Since then Cap has continued with his long and illustrious career up to the present day.

The rest, as they say is History .

Steve Rogers' presumed death during the “” storyline, 2006. Art by . Powers and abilities

Captain America has no superhuman powers, although as a result of the Super-Soldier Serum and "Vita-Ray" treatment, he is transformed from a frail young man into a "perfect" specimen of human development and conditioning. Captain America's strength, endurance, agility, , reflexes, durability, and healing are at the of natural human potential. Rogers' body regularly replenishes the super-soldier serum; it does not wear off.

The formula enhances all of his metabolic functions and prevents the build-up of fatigue poisons in his muscles, giving him endurance far in excess of an ordinary human being. This accounts for many of his extraordinary feats, including bench pressing 1200 pounds (545 kg) and running a mile (1.6 km) in 73 seconds (49 mph/78 kph). Furthermore, his enhancements are the reason why he was able to survive being frozen in suspended animation for decades. Rogers cannot become intoxicated by alcohol, drugs, or impurities in the air and is immune to terrestrial diseases. He is also highly resistant to hypnosis or gases that could limit his focus. The secrets of creating a super-soldier were lost with the death of its creator, Dr. Abraham Erskine. However, in the ensuing decades there have been numerous secret attempts to recreate Erskine's treatment, only to have them end in failure.

Rogers' battle experience and training make him an expert tactician and an excellent field commander, with his teammates frequently deferring to his orders in battle. Rogers' reflexes and senses are also extraordinarily keen. He has blended , , , and gymnastics into his own unique fighting style and is a master of multiple martial arts. Years of practice with his indestructible shield make him able to aim and throw it with almost unerring accuracy. His skill with his shield is such that he can attack multiple targets in succession with a single throw or even cause a -like return from a throw to attack an enemy from behind. In canon, he is regarded by other skilled fighters as one of the best hand-to-hand combatants in the . Although the super-soldier serum is an important part of his strength, Rogers has shown himself still sufficiently capable against stronger opponents, even when the serum has been deactivated reverting him to his pre-Captain America physique. Rogers has vast U.S. Military knowledge and is often shown to be familiar with ongoing, classified Defense Department operations. He is an expert in combat strategy, survival, acrobatics, military strategy, piloting, and demolitions. Despite his high as one of the world's most popular and recognizable superheroes, Rogers also has a broad understanding of the community, largely through his ongoing relationship with S.H.I.E.L.D. He occasionally makes forays into relatively mundane career fields, including commercial arts, artistry, education (high school history), and law enforcement.

Although he lacks , Captain America is one of the few mortal beings who has been deemed worthy enough to wield 's hammer.

Weapons and equipment

Captain America uses several shields throughout his history, the most prevalent of which is a nigh-indestructible disc-shaped shield made from an experimental alloy of steel and the fictional vibranium. The shield was cast by American metallurgist Dr. Myron MacLain, who was contracted by the U.S. government, from orders of President Roosevelt to create an impenetrable substance to use for tanks during World War II. This alloy was created by accident and never duplicated, although efforts to reverse-engineer it resulted in the discovery of .

Captain America often uses his shield as an offensive throwing weapon. The first instance of Captain America's trademark ricocheting shield-toss occurs in Stan Lee’ writing, the two-page text story "Captain America Foils the Traitor's Revenge" in Captain America Comics #3 (May 1941).

When without his trademark shield, Captain America sometimes uses other shields made from less durable metals such as steel, or even a photonic energy shield designed to a vibranium matrix. Rogers, having relinquished his regular shield to Barnes, carried a variant of the energy shield which can be used with either arm, and used to either block attacks or as an improvised offensive weapon able to cut through metal with relative ease. Much like his vibranium shield, the energy shield can also be thrown, including ricocheting off multiple surfaces and returning to his hand.

Captain America's uniform is made of a -retardant material, and he wears a lightweight, bulletproof "duralumin" scale armour beneath his uniform for added protection. Originally, Rogers' mask was a separate piece of material, but an early engagement had it dislodged, thus almost exposing his identity. To prevent a recurrence of the situation, Rogers modified with connecting material to his uniform, an added benefit of which was extending his armour to cover his previously exposed neck. As a member of the Avengers, Rogers has an Avengers priority card, which serves as a communications device.

Read Captain America’s and origin in Captain America Comics # 1, ( March 1941). Then read on for a retelling of the story as narrated by Cap to in Captain America # 109 (January 1969).